1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a macro transmission server apparatus and a control method therefor. In particular, the present invention relates to a macro transmission server apparatus configured to store a macro which is a setting value related to a job to be performed by an image processing apparatus. The macro transmission server apparatus transmits a macro to an image processing apparatus that includes a function for retrieving and executing a macro according to a user instruction.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recent multifunction peripherals (MFPs) include a printer function, a facsimile transmitting and receiving function, and an e-mail transmitting and receiving function in addition to a copy function. Such MFPs have improved business efficiency.
However, the number of items that a user is required to set on an operation unit of the MFP has increased along with an increase in the number of functions provided by the MFP. In response to such problem, there is a macro function that records operations performed by a user and assigns the recorded content to one operation key. Consequently, such a macro function has improved the operability of an MFP. To be more specific, a macro is script data that defines a combination of functions that can be performed by an MFP and an order of processing such functions.
Examples of apparatuses including a macro function include a printing apparatus discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 05-246111 and a cash register apparatus discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 08-329338.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 05-246111 discusses a method of registering types of operation keys that a user serially presses and an order in which the user presses the keys as an operating procedure (i.e., a macro). The operating procedure is registered using key codes that are generated when the user presses the operation keys. Then, the operating procedure can be executed when a call key corresponding to the operating procedure is pressed by the user.
Further, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 08-329338 discusses a method of registering an execution process of an operation as a macro (i.e., an operating procedure) while causing the apparatus to actually execute the operation. As a result, a macro registration error can be prevented.
Further, a technology is being developed for office use in which an administrator, such as an information technology (IT) manager, can concurrently transmit a macro of a routine task to a plurality of managed MFPs from a server apparatus.
In the above-described transmission, a plurality of macros is transmitted as a set. To be more specific, a plurality of macros that corresponds to a plurality of different routine tasks is transmitted to an MFP. Such a plurality of macros is also referred to as a macro group.
A macro function can reduce operating cost in a case where a macro function is applied to an MFP. However, not all of the macros that are created can be commonly used by all MFPs.
For example, a macro that creates an encrypted Portable Document Format (PDF) file cannot be executed unless there is a license for using encrypted PDF.
If macro data is transmitted to all MFPs without consideration of the above-described case, a large amount of unusable macros are displayed on a screen. Consequently, a user interface becomes difficult to use, and there is an increase in network traffic.
To solve such problem, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-063511 discusses a job script execution apparatus. More specifically, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-063511 discusses a method of transmitting a software program that compensates for a function which is lacking in an apparatus to the apparatus together with a macro. As a result, the apparatus can execute the macro.
However, there are many cases where a macro cannot become executable by the method discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-063511. For example, if the technique is applied to an MFP, a macro may not be executable when the MFP is to use a hardware option such as a finisher option, a software option in which a license is necessary for using the software, or a function that requires an environmental setting.
Consequently, at present, a product is being proposed in which an administrator stores a macro that is to be transmitted to an MFP of a specific group as a transmission set. The administrator manually performs maintenance on the transmission set, so that the appropriate macro is always transmitted to an MFP.
However, the above-described method increases management cost of the administrator. For example, it is burdensome for an administrator to create a transmission set at an initial installment, or to make a revision to create an appropriate set every time there is a change in a device configuration or in a macro.